HORIZON: PROVING GROUND
by JRSThewritingwriter
Summary: Our story concerns James Hennesey, a Starfleet officer re-entering service in space after 2 years teaching. His new ship is the USS Horizon a constitution class starship, tasked with peacekeeping and general babysitting of the Alpha quadrants more unsettled regions, during a time of his tensions with ruthless privateers and an uneasy peace being negotiated with the Klingons.


HORIZON: PROVING GROUND by J. R. Stow

*I DO NOT OWN STAR TREK OR ANY OF THE SHIP, PLANETS OR SETTINGS HERIN, ONLY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS ARE CREATED OR OWNED BY MYSELF. STAR TREK IS PROPERTY OF PARAMOUNT PICTURES.

Welcome to my first Star Trek fanfiction, Horizon: Proving Ground.

This story is set in the time frame between Star Trek V and Star Trek VI (2287-2293), and features a constitution class starship.

Here are some images of the setting.

The ship: . /2010/11/tmp_

The Bridge: . /2008/05/500px-constitution_class_refit_bridge_ (please excuse Original Series cast they are not featured!)

And here are some images of general ship settings:

. /2009/03/corridor_ , . , memoryalpha/en/images/c/cc/Constitution_class_refit_officers_

This information is provided to anyone who is not a fan of Star Trek, so you can better visualize the setting of the stories.

Our story concerns James Hennesey, a Starfleet officer re-entering service in space after 2 years teaching. His new ship is the USS Horizon a constitution class starship, tasked with peacekeeping and general babysitting of the Alpha quadrants more unsettled regions, during a time of his tensions with ruthless privateers and an uneasy peace being negotiated with the Klingons.

With a new crew around him, a captain who isn't all he seems, and a daring conspiracy afoot, Hennesey soon finds his new post is not the gentle return to space he was hoping for. And before long he finds himself wrapped up in an adventure that will test his very limits and make him face his biggest fear.

PART 1: PILOTS PROLOGUE

Personal Log, Lt. Cmdr. James X. Hennesey

Stardate 8575.2

This is my first log entry as the new Flight Controller aboard the USS Horizon (NCC-1732). I realise stating the registry is a bit too formal, but its a bad habit I picked up while serving at spacedock. Come to think of it, Dad used to do the same thing whenever we was listing off his old postings. Must be a Hennesey thing.

And speaking of family traditions, I have continued our finest one, serving in Starfleet. After two years of teaching at the Academy, I have decided that my future lies back among the stars. Although, no matter how grandiose I attempt to make that sound I am still just as underwhelmed by it all as before.

Don't get me wrong, the chance to pilot a Constitution class ship and a promotion to Lieutenant Commander are both very good things. I would have loved to serve on the Enterprise and this is the next best thing as far as I'm concerned. But I chose teaching over active service for a reason, mainly that we aren't explorers in Starfleet anymore. We're diplomats, peacekeepers sometimes even soldiers. Never just explorers anymore though. And for that reason I am not as overjoyed as I perhaps should be at this assignment. I joined the fleet because I wanted to see places no one had, see things that others could not see. Its not often a mission involves that over negotiating with a Klingon or chasing Orion pirates these days.

But, with those concerns aside I am glad to be aboard Horizon. She is a fine vessel, beautiful to look at and according to the reports I've read on her, effective in service. I've heard her Chief Engineer is an old fashioned workaholic. Never really an approach I've taken myself but not a bad trait in a man looking after a whole vessel single handedly. That may be one of the few negative things about this ship, it is chronically undermanned.

My new Commanding Officer, Captain Iaudo also comes with a reputation. Albeit a not completely favourable one, but a reputation nonetheless. His supposedly 'maverick' dealings with Starfleet Command make him a popular figure with the lower decks, yet his abrasive and apparently mocking nature of command can sometimes make him hard to approach. He seems to have a record of going through senior staff changes every 14 months. Hopefully he just likes to keep his crews fresh and is not just a nightmares to work with. Either way, I'm not looking for a long tour of duty.

Regardless he is the captain, and as such I will respect him and perform at my very best. Starfleet may not have all its priorities right, but choosing Captains is not something I would imagine them taking lightly. And a fit officer for command is of the highest priority after all.

My first duty shift begins 0800 tomorrow, and I plan to spend the rest of my day familiarizing myself with the ship and meeting my fellow officers. It will be somewhat of a culture shock for me being part of a crew again. Even with students being taught every day, the life of an instructor can get pretty lonely. Or maybe I just haven't been socializing enough these last couple of years. Who knows. Regardless I am looking forward to meeting my crewmates. I think.

On a more personal note...which seems ridiculous to say as I am dictating my own 'personal' log...on a none Starfleet issue...I am feeling uneasy over my new rank.

It is an honour to be named any kind of command rank, it truly is. And I am genuinely happy that I've kept the Hennesey family name in Starfleet at all. But my other reason for leaving frontline service was to avoid exactly this.

I am no leader. I work well in a team, and I can excel at tasks alone.I loved teaching and passing knowledge on, but alas I am no commander. I have not got the presence nor the ability to choose the right course for those around me. I've realised this in several humbling incidences, both on my last posting and at the academy I do not care to talk about in this log. Rehashing them serves no purpose to me.

It may sound as if I am wallowing in self-pity but I'm afraid it is just an honest assessment. I have never been able to command and as such have never sought to. I reached the rank of Lieutenant and stopped, happy in the knowledge I had come as far as I was able to. I took the teaching position on Earth as I knew my usefulness on starships was over and I don't believe in standing still for too long. You have to keep being useful, keep working where you're needed and can make a difference.

Or at least that's what I keep telling myself. Dad always says to do what you feel and if you're meant to be doing it then you will keep doing it. I never shared his calm faith in things just 'panning out'. Then again my father made Captain by 36 and so has every reason to be sure of himself. He was certainly doing what he was meant to.

Anyway, this kind of negative thinking is unbecoming from an officer, especially a senior one. And that's what I am now, regardless of my fears about command I must do my best for my new crewmates and this ship. And I'm not one to shy away from my duty, nor my responsibility to others.

I just hope I don't become that kind of person after thi-...

Computer, delete last sentence.

End personal log.


End file.
